Weeks 3 & 4 - Australian Open - men's singles (outdoor hard)

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

RE: Weeks 3 & 4 - Australian Open - men's singles (outdoor hard)

Jan · Hall of fame

I'm amazed he actually managed to play at all. Great fight from Andy.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Posted by the LTA on its Twitter feed:

Andy Murray at the Australian Open

Sums it up nicely! smile

Quote from one of the Woodies, Mark Woodforde, on the Beeb's live commentary:

Even without the other matches this was always going to be a real test for Andy Murray. He was beaten by a man who he prodded and pushed and tried to put off his game. He threw everything into this match.

Russell Fuller:

14 hours and 3 minutes of the very best entertainment ends with Andy Murray falling in 4 sets to Roberto Bautista Agut. Makes you wonder (after a week in the ice bath) what Murray might be able to do for the rest of the season.

And Bautista himself:

'A lot of love for Andy'

Murray 1-6 7-6 (9-7) 3-6 4-6 Bautista Agut

Roberto Bautista Agut speaking in his on-court interview: "Always playing Andy at a Grand Slam is very tough. He knows the game very well, he knows very well how to play a Grand Slam match.

"I'm very happy with how I held the nerves and tension. I'm very happy with the win.

"There was a lot of love for Andy."

He added: "I'm feeling well on the court, I'm competing well, I'm doing everything I can outside the court to play good matches,.

"Today was obviously very tough, but I enjoyed the match, the atmosphere. I think I'm prepared to play a good match in the next round."

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

This Roland-Garros Tweet is quoted by the Beeb:

Thanks @andy_murray for the tennis. Can't wait to see you in Paris in May!

Is Andy likely to play at the French Open? I'd have thought he'd give it a miss & make sure that he's ready for Wimbledon &, conceivably, Queen's.

Rich2310 · County player

The man is a warrior with unbelievable fight in him.
Who knows. If the first two rounds had not gone the distance and the time length Andy might have been able to get through this match.
He's clearly loving playing still. I for one can't wait to follow him at tour events this season and see what he can do.

Priesty · Challenger level

Coup Droit wrote:
Absolutely lovely story about Dan giving Rublev a banana when Rublev had run out (and I love the 'no' for people he doesn't like - I'm guessing Jim Chardy might not have got one )

"The snack-sharing came at a changeover late in the first set, with Rublev leading 5-4. The 25-year-old Russian wanted a little sustenance tennis players often will munch on bananas during breaks in matches because they are a healthy, fat-free source of carbohydrates and potassium but he realized the courtside allotment was gone.

Evans, a 32-year-old from Britain who was seeded 25th in the years first Grand Slam tournament, had just been handed a pair of bananas by a ball kid.

So Evans flung one of the yellow fruits from where he was sitting on the sideline with his left hand, and it traveled past the chair umpires stand and over toward the other bench, where Rublev grabbed it out of the air with his left hand. Both men are righties.

The seemingly effortless throw and one-handed catch were both impressive.

I quite like him, so I shared with him, Evans said. That was about it.

Asked whether he would have provided the bit of food to someone he doesnt like, Evans, in perhaps typical British fashion, replied simply, No.

Rublev, who will face Holger Rune of Denmark on Monday for a spot in the quarterfinals, laughed about the whole thing when asked about it at his news conference.

He said hes handed bottles of water out of a sideline refrigerator to foes in the past, but he couldnt recall ever participating in an exchange of fruit.

Just a nice and fun moment between us, Rublev said. We have a great relationship between each other.

apnews.com/article/sports-healthy-eating-andrey-rublev-tennis-australian-open-9da0feb52cf9efa36e4321612e26ae39

Really CD? I saw Evo quoted as saying he knew Chardy "relatively well" and that he didn't want the ball incident to "sour the match" so got the impression they were quite good mates.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Yeah, but that was before he saw the comments Jim had made about him

And anyway, knowing someone quite well hardly means you like them !

And not wanting it to sour the match was because he won......

I'm sure Chardy wanted it to sour the match

Actually, I saw that Chardy removed his tweets, and backed down in an interview he gave later on, trying to undo the damage (which was probably not a big deal, Dan is a pretty face on sort of guy, I doubt he gave a monkey's about what Jim said).

I think, as the dust settled, Chardy realised that he'd overreacted a bit, especially when he saw he was getting no support from the French commentators

The story is more about the fun and games between Evo and Rublev, and Evo's forthrightness - there are quite a few people he doesn't like on tour and he is very clear about it - it's not as story about Chardy.

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Saturday 21st of January 2023 03:52:03 PM

Jan · Hall of fame

I see Cam's conqueror has now beaten FAA....

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Looking at men's tennis, taking the last 16 to be a good snapshot, the performance of the US players is a major talking point:

Four US players in the last 16, including:
complete newbie Ben Shelton ATP 89;
pretty much newbie Wolf ATP 67;
unseeded Tommy Paul ATP 35, and
the most 'established' player, Korda, ATP 31

Age 20, 24, 25, and 22 respectively

It's a big deal, maybe a changing of the guard; big boost for college tennis too

Another major outsider is Lehecka, ATP 71 and only 21
Great for the Czechs to have a man to add to their amazing female contingent. But another completely new name at this level (although he made the finals of the Next gen last year, which announced his intentions well)

Apart from that, there's a reasonable smattering of the tried and tested, with Djoko leading that charge, at age 35

But rather a different look to the last 16, I'd say, from normal

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Rublev and Shelton both get through the last 8. Massive for Shelton

Madadman · Masters Series Champion

JonH comes home wrote:
Rublev and Shelton both get through the last 8. Massive for Shelton

Think Shelton is now into the top 50. Was outside 500 only last May.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Madadman wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
Rublev and Shelton both get through the last 8. Massive for Shelton
Think Shelton is now into the top 50. Was outside 500 only last May.

Yes, and played such a great match with Paul Jubb only a few months ago, that Paul should have won, but just lost at the last.

Great guy to watch play.

Think his dad knows what he was doing.....great knowledge and support (although he only made the fourth round of a slam ) Knows that if the tennis is there, the ranking is irrelevant. Great that he didn't make him pound the courts all round the world, just honed his skills at home.

His uncle on his mum's side was also a top-50 player. Unusual to have both sides.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
Madadman wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
Rublev and Shelton both get through the last 8. Massive for Shelton
Think Shelton is now into the top 50. Was outside 500 only last May.
Yes, and played such a great match with Paul Jubb only a few months ago, that Paul should have won, but just lost at the last.
Great guy to watch play.
Think his dad knows what he was doing.....great knowledge and support (although he only made the fourth round of a slam ) Knows that if the tennis is there, the ranking is irrelevant. Great that he didn't make him pound the courts all round the world, just honed his skills at home.
His uncle on his mum's side was also a top-50 player. Unusual to have both sides.

Who was the uncle on the mums side , out of interest ?

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

JonH comes home wrote:
Coup Droit wrote:
Madadman wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
Rublev and Shelton both get through the last 8. Massive for Shelton
Think Shelton is now into the top 50. Was outside 500 only last May.
Yes, and played such a great match with Paul Jubb only a few months ago, that Paul should have won, but just lost at the last.
Great guy to watch play.
Think his dad knows what he was doing.....great knowledge and support (although he only made the fourth round of a slam ) Knows that if the tennis is there, the ranking is irrelevant. Great that he didn't make him pound the courts all round the world, just honed his skills at home.
His uncle on his mum's side was also a top-50 player. Unusual to have both sides.
Who was the uncle on the mums side , out of interest ?

Todd Witsken, apparently

Sorry to any Todd fans but I'd never heard of him - but he used to be ATP 4 in doubles, and 43 in singles

https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-who-ben-shelton-s-tennis-playing-parents-heptathlete-girlfriend-know-american-sensation-s-support-system

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Monday 23rd of January 2023 10:16:30 AM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Three Americans through to the last eight - that's some performance